New Pattern Release - Criss Cross Cowl

Back in the summer I had a lovely chat with designer Erika Knight, whom I sometimes knit up samples for, and we got onto the subject of my own design work and how I loved working with the super chunky yarn and 25mm needles for my Wool and the Gang blanket. Erika told me about a new addition to her Erika Knight for John Lewis range of wool due to be released in the autumn and very kindly sent me a hank to play with.

XXL Wool is 100% super chunky wool grown and spun in the UK and is available exclusively in top John Lewis haberdasheries and online priced at £20 for a 250g hank. Each hank is approximately 55m of pure squish!  It comes in three colours - blanc, soft grey (both shown below) and dusky pink.
XXL Wool is soft yet sturdy and has great stitch definition so I wanted to come up with something that could be knitted up with one skein and be full of interesting texture...

Introducing...

The CrissCrossCowl*

This one skein wonder is knitted on 20mm needles (mine are gorgeous Brittany Birch needles) in a deceptively simple stitch pattern that is easy to memorise and grows super fast. Slipped stitch edges give it a neat finish and it is knit as a long straight piece with the cast on and bind off edges joined at the end.

Start to finish, this project should not take more than a couple of hours! How's that for instant gratification?

I just adore the way the fabric looks almost woven rather than knitted (indeed several people thought it resembled basket work) and the sturdiness of the yarn means it holds it's shape well. Plus it is so warm and soft against my face - no scratchiness here! - I would be quite happy to hunch down inside this cowl. I'm sure it will keep the worst of the Winter chill away!

CrissCross Cowl is available now from Ravelry priced at £3.00
 (plus VAT if you are in the EU. Sorry!)

Not on Ravelry? 

click here to

 

*thank you to Karen Guenther on Facebook and lesleyana on Instagram who both suggested that name


PS I love to see my patterns in the wild so if you make the CrissCrossCowl please share on Twitter or Instagram with #crisscrosscowl and #forestflowerdesigns so I see it!

New Pattern Release :: Tracks in the Snow

Brrrrr it's been getting mighty chilly overnight here in the Forest of Dean - no frost yet but morning schoolrun temperatures have been around 5°C, add in that wind chill (oh the joy of hilltop living) and I think I have been perfectly justified in piling on ALL the woollies!!

a big woolly hug..

We are really hoping for some snow this year as it's been a bit sparse the last couple of winters - some good, deep, crunchy snow to stomp around in and build snowpeople with. Not so keen on snowball fights but the boys love them!

When the temperatures drop and the world is blanketed in snow and ice what you basically need is a big woolly hug to keep you warm whilst you play in all that wonderful white stuff (or fight your way through the chaos to get to work/school - I know snow isn't always welcome!) and that's where the inspiration for my new pattern comes from.

Tracks in the Snow is knitted in super bulky wool yarn - I used Drops Polaris for my sample but Wool and the Gang's Crazy Sexy Wool or we are knitters The Wool would both work fabulously well - and uses 15mm needles (I use beautiful sustainable birch wood needles by Brittany - they are simply wonderful to knit with and, although a US company, they are widely available online in the UK).


Thanks to yarn and needle size it's a super fast knit. The pattern is easy to memorise and the scarf requires minimal finishing (a quick light steam blocking with your iron on the reverse of the work is all it needs) so you could knit your scarf in an evening - perfect if the weather report mentions an unexpected chill!
 

Bulky wool is perfect for textured stitches - I think this lovely skyp stitch looks beautiful against the stocking stitch background!

slipped stitches at each edge give a lovely neat finish

The chunky fringe adds a touch of luxury

Tracks in the Snow is available to buy from Ravelry now 

Click here